ITALY

Old Aug 21st, 2014, 02:42 PM
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ITALY

I am planning a short trip to Italy and I wanted to hop around a bit. Where is the best place to start? (I have an idea of what I want to see but would love for others to share their experience). I want to be able to maneuver around without too much hassle and go from Rome, Venice, Florence etc . 1 thing I really want to see is the Colosseum.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 03:20 PM
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I also want to see the Amalfi Coast
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 04:24 PM
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How many days exactly? When/what time of year? Who/how many people?

There are a million good options and Italy is easy t get around by train for most places - but for deep counryside car is better. And I would avoid midsummer like the plague just TOO hot and humid.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:33 PM
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When?
How long?
How many?
Is a car an option?
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 06:46 PM
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12days I plan to go next month September. Where should I begin the trip? I was thinking I start from Amalfi Coast, Rome, Florence and leave from Venice back to NYC(in that exact order).
I planned to get around by trains. any suggestions?
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 07:04 PM
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Multi-city tickets, into Naples, our of Venice (or reverse if schedule is better).

I don't think you have enough time to do all four places and give any of them the time they need to actually see much. Can you stretch the time by two or three days?

What is your budget? Besides using trains, are you doing hotels, hostels, couch surfing? You might travel "without much hassle," but without some kind of plan and reservations, things may cost more.

Buy a couple of really good guide books.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 07:18 PM
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Without hassle, it is rather hard to get to the Amalfi Coast, especially in a hurry.

However, if you have money, hire a driver to pick you up at Naples airport and take you there. After than you can use trains, once you get to a major train station (Naples or Salerno for direct trains to Rome).

Easy to train to Rome, then Florence, then Venice. For no hassles, taxis at each train station will whisk you to your hotels, except in Venice, where a water taxi will whisk you to your hotel.

With money to spend, you can probably zoom up Italy in 12 days.

If you're on a budget, you'll have some more careful planning to do.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 09:19 AM
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Twele days - even if actually on the ground and not counting the dayyou arrive and hte day you leave are IMHO not really enough tfor these 4 places. Three is pushing it. And if you only have an actual 10 days on the ground I think 4 places is imposible.

Agree you should fly into Naples and out of Venice.

Do you have hotels yet? At this point bargains will likely be fully booked and you will find either very expensive or not very nice.

You don;t say what your price pint is - but if you are on any sort of budget I would get busy reserving lodging now. And do be ware than in italy many more modest lodging do not have AC at all - and often have shared baths and stairs rather than elevators.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 09:21 AM
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Twele days - even if actually on the ground and not counting the dayyou arrive and hte day you leave are IMHO not really enough tfor these 4 places. Three is pushing it. And if you only have an actual 10 days on the ground I think 4 places is imposible.

Agree you should fly into Naples and out of Venice.

Do you have hotels yet? At this point bargains will likely be fully booked and you will find either very expensive or not very nice.

You don;t say what your price pint is - but if you are on any sort of budget I would get busy reserving lodging now. And do be ware than in italy many more modest lodging do not have AC at all - and often have shared baths and stairs rather than elevators.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 01:16 PM
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You asked for personal experience but the double post above from nytraveler is not based on any personal experience. Just fair warning about what you get on the internet. Not only you are unlikely to need air conditioning this year anywhere but Venice (and that will be for mosquitoes, not heat) but you can still find nice and affordable lodgings with air conditioning if you want it in the places you say you want to go in September.

If all you want to see in Rome is the Colosseo and a small list of other sights -- and ditto for hopping around to Florence and Venice -- and otherwise just gawk, then it is not impossible to get into town and spend 2 days or even less sightseeing. Cruise ship tourists and backpackers do it all the time, by the millions.

Probably the most efficient (and cheapest) way to see the Amalfi coast is to take the train to Salerno and then take the bus to Sorrento. You can do it in a single day. Or do it the other way around.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 04:17 PM
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At least have a good list of lodging that will likely have openings. Once there, it takes time and the place you find may not be the best you might have gotten with a little research. Can't remember why I did it, but I arrived in Rome once with nothing planned and wasted a good bit of time, was not happy with the place I stayed and was sorry.

Do research on train (or bus) schedules before you go. Sometimes it is worth booking ahead to save money. Others, short trips on local trains, you can be free to just get a ticket and go. I often do not plan ahead, but do know it will cost me considerably more on long hauls.

Basically, I am saying, do research ahead of time or expect to waste time and spend more during your trip - can be fun or frustrating.

Often, it makes more sense to travel from place to place in the late afternoon rather than wasting the best part of the day sitting. Sight see in the morning, have a nice lunch, etc. Travel in the afternoon and arrive in time to have a good walk in your new city.

Trains are great in Italy, easy to jump from town to town. For longer distances to other countries and with limited time, consider cheap flights.

Short day trips make sense - saving time checking into and out of a hotel, but not if you are backtracking very far. Longer days trips, you may save time by just moving on and taking your luggage with you.

Unless your trip is truly circular, don't backtrack to your arrival city. Do a linear trip and the airfare may or may not be a bit more, but any extra cost will likely be saved by not backtracking.

Often, you can see more (and save money) by exploring one area and moving around less. You will also have a broader range of experience and sight seeing by visiting some smaller towns rather than all big cities. While each big city is unique, often smaller towns seem to have retained more local identity and culture. Many small areas offer a huge variety of sightseeing.

If your budget is tight, still plan on spending money for special sights or museums. It is penny wise and dollar foolish to spend hundreds of dollars to get to Europe, then miss out on a great museum to save a few bucks.

Did you just want a quick look at the Amalfi Coast or also to see Pompeii or other places while you are in the area? While in Florence, do you not want to see any of the countryside of Tuscany or medieval cities? It kind of comes down to a quick scan of a place or seeing major sights.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 04:27 PM
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Sandralist I am sick and tired of you telling me I have no experience in europe just because I dare not to agree with all of your opinions. This is a public forum and everyone is entitled to provide their own point of view. I disagree with a lot you say but I don't turn my opinions into personal attacks which are totally inappropriate.

As for my experience I have been to europe more than 100 times, including 11 or 12 trips to rome, 5 to Florence and 6 to Venice - as well as a couple to the AC. More I would guess than many people on this forum. But I don't go around telling people they have never been there or don't know anything.

I would really appreciate it is you would stop the personal attacks and accept that some people are going to disagree with you without being either liars or having some sort of evil intent.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 04:29 PM
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Especially since I have been posting on this forum for ELEVEN YEARS longer than you have - and have been quoted in at least 6 of the Fodors guide books.
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Old Aug 22nd, 2014, 06:08 PM
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i dont have an exact budget. Amalfi Coast and the Colosseum are a must see for me and everything else I will go with the flow. I planned to stay in the Renaissance Naples Hotel Mediterraneo while in Naples to tour AC then move on to Rome, Florence, Venice(depart to NYC from Venice). I work for an airline so flying will not cost me much besides the taxes. Any suggestions is the Renaissance in Naples too far from AC? What are must see in Florence and Venice that you will recommend(I have done my research already and have a clue but would love to know what you will recommend for me). Thank you guys have been very helpful
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